The Third Man Factor: How those in dire peril have felt a sudden presence at their side, inspiring them to survive. Religious people obviously attribute the Third Man Factor to the presence of God. Others attribute the Third Man Factor to a trick of the subconscious.

John Geiger writes in his book The Third Man Factor:

In situations where success appears to be impossible, or death imminent -- something happens. There, amid the anxiety, fear, blood, sadness, exhaustion, torment, isolation, and fatigue, is an outstretched hand -- another existence, proffering a "transfusion of energy, encouragement and instinctual wisdom from a seemngly external source." A presence appears, a Third Man, who, in the words of the legendary Italian climber Reinhold Messner, "leads you out of the impossible."

I think it's important to note just how unconsciously absolute the feeling is. You don't even question it, you just accept it and hardly even think about it. It's that real.

During the last hours of the Epperly climb noted above, I also had hallucinations that I was being watched by a three-person judging panel sitting over at a desk far to my left. One of them was an older woman, who would whisper inaudible comments to her colleagues ...

Baarb wrote:Can't say I have though I'll be interested to follow this thread as it develops. Why is it called the 'Third Man' strategy when it's more the case that there are two of you?

I have seen some references to religious material in which two people held a common feeling that there was an unseen "third man" present. So it has taken on the label as the "Third Man" factor. But it can be the "second man," or the "third man," or the "fourth man," etc.

It is common for soloists to feel the presence of a "second man," or a group of 4-5 to feel the presence of yet another "unseen" person in their midst. Whatever the number, the phenomenon is the same.

I wonder if the the film 'The Third Man' draws from this notion (given that the plot was based on a mysterious other figure lurking in the shadows). Given that the film was made in 1949 it would indicate a history to these kind of occurrences.

MoapaPk wrote:I was leading a hypothermic, exhausted friend back to camp, and he began talking to a nonexistent 3rd person. Somehow I don't think that's what you are talking about.

Yes, that's exactly the kind of stuff we're talking about. Pushed to the edge, a "third man" appeared to nudge him forward. I would talk to your friend some more and find out what he experienced.

Baarb wrote:I wonder if the the film 'The Third Man' draws from this notion (given that the plot was based on a mysterious other figure lurking in the shadows). Given that the film was made in 1949 it would indicate a history to these kind of occurrences.

John Geiger notes in his book that the experience of the "third man" is a timeless human experience.

We know and understand so little of the vast powers of the human mind...

Yeah, I reckon I had it once, just a month ago. Very vague, by no means a feeling of the presence of a distinct person. On the last pitches of a climb, and then during an unplanned bivy on the ledges below the summit. Had a weird subconscious feeling that we're in the party of 3 and not 2. Didn't feel it as neither 'helpful' nor 'scary' of any sort, just completely neutral, my subconscience accepted it as it was. The climb was overall dangerous (very loose rock, unknown territory - first ascent of a peak) but except some isolated moments there was no imminent danger at the times I had this feeling. I think I was more mentally tired rather than physically exhausted. The feeling was so 'natural' that I haven't even mentioned it to my partner neither then nor afterwards, I think I will tell him now when I read this thread.

We recently climbed a technical 6000m peak in the Tajik Pamirs as a team of three. One of use got sick. My partner and I draged the sick and weak third person down through difficult terrain, fixing ropes for him, over 24 hrs on the go with the sick totally loosing it and the two of us going to our limits too to get us all out.
The next day I said to my buddy "you know, yesterday night it feel like we were four, not three. Feels like somebody else was there". He said then that this was very strange, since he felt the same way, that we were four, not three.

Never had that feeling before, but we both clearly had it that day&night.